Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Ladies and gentlemen, whether you like it or not… Riverdale is doing Hedwig*. Or more specifically, the teen drama is tackling their own version of the cult classic musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch in next week’s new episode, courtesy a variety show gone horribly awry. Which means that right now is the perfect time to watch Hedwig and the Angry Inch, so you can fall in love with Stephen Trask and John Cameron Mitchell’s creation, all over again. Or for the first time. Whichever.
(*This is a reference to the first line of Hedwig. Just FYI.)
The show first premiered Off-Broadway in 1998, with music and lyrics by Trask, and a book by John Cameron Mitchell. Set in a grungy, rundown rock club, East German genderqueer performer Hedwig (Mitchell) is trailing a rock star named Tommy Gnosis, who she helped usher to stardom and once had a relationship with. Over the course of the show, Hedwig tells her whole story; from her humble beginnings, to a botched back-alley sex change operation (hence the “angry inch” of the title), to meeting Tommy, to now.
For the most part, other than the backing band, Hedwig is almost a one person show. There’s Tommy’s voice, which echoes from the much larger venue he’s performing at next door; and Yitzhak, a Jewish drag queen who is more talented than Hedwig, and utterly in love with her. But that’s pretty much it, making the show an incredible showcase for Mitchell and other actors who have taken on the role. Notably, Neil Patrick Harris starred as Hedwig when the show moved to Broadway in 2014, a role which won him a Tony Award.
But mostly, Hedwig is Mitchell, and Hedwig is Mitchell, even though the show has been remounted in productions around the world. Unfortunately, the stage production isn’t streaming anywhere; but lucky for you, the movie version is. In 2001, Mitchell wrote and directed a film version of Hedwig which opened up the cast significantly, as well as the staging of the show. It was a critical success — it currently holds a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, with 113 reviews, and garnered multiple awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe nom for Best Actor for Mitchell. However, it was also a box office bomb, snagging just over $3 million on a $6 million budget, according to BoxOfficeMojo.
But who cares! Box office is meaningless when you have a great movie that you can stream right now, essentially for free. And you can stream Hedwig and the Angry Inch for free… As long as you have an HBO subscription.
Yep, that’s right, there are a few different ways of streaming Hedwig “free,” but they’re all variations on “paying for HBO” which is not technically “free.” You can watch Hedwig and the Angry Inch directly on HBO Go, or HBO Now. Got HBO through Prime Video? Good news, you can stream it there, too. How about HBO through Hulu? That’ll work, too; though unfortunately Hedwig is not one of the movies included in the current HBO Unlocked on Hulu promotion. What about HBO through your Potbelly Sandwich Shop account? That’s not a thing, but sure, I guess if you could figure out how to get HBO that way, you can watch Hedwig and the Angry Inch on a hot, toasty sandwich.
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Don’t have HBO? No worries, there are options. You can currently rent Hedwig on Prime Video for $2.49, and Google Play or iTunes for $3.99. Not only is that cheaper than a back alley sex operation; it’s safer, too!
You’ve got a little time until Riverdale airs the next new episode, “Chapter Seventy-Four: Wicked Little Town.” It’ll premiere on The CW on Wednesday, April 15 at 8/7c, and the next day on The CW website and app. In the hour, Kevin Keller (Casey Cott) wants to perform music from Hedwig for Riverdale High’s variety show; but when he’s shut down, it leads to a school-wide rebellion. Cott, by the way, looks fabulous as Hedwig, even if he’s chewing on some of the show’s candy drugs (called jingle jangle) in the key art released yesterday (April 9) instead of the cigarette in Hedwig‘s movie poster (which the below is based on):
But before that does air, do yourself a favor and watch the very good movie version of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. It’s an hour and thirty-five minutes of viciously beautiful music, uplifting tragedy, and heart-breaking hope. Or at the very least, it’ll teach you a surprising new recipe for salad.
